Knight Seeks Dragon
by Nightlingbolt
Summary: Coming to terms with the fact that she and Jellal can never be, Erza comes to realize just how she feels about Natsu. But seeing if he feels the same proves to be the hard part. NatsuxErza
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to my newest project, "Knight Seeks Dragon!" The title refers to Erza coming to the realization that she wants to be romantically involved with Natsu after Jellal cuts her off for her own sake. I honestly have nothing to say about this, except I hope you enjoy it.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Erza had just come back from visiting Jellal in prison. After the whole ordeal with the Eclipse plan, Jellal had turned himself in to the Magic Council, saying he would accept their punishment with no resistence. Natsu went ballistic upon hearing this, saying that Jellal had to live to pay for his crimes. , to live and suffer with the guilt of his sins on his shoulders.

Fortunately, Guran Doma had seen things Natsu's way. As thanks for his service to the kingdom of Fiore in stopping Arcadios, Jellal would serve a lifetime sentence, rather than face the gallows as he would have six years ago.

This was the first time since his arrest that Erza had visited Jellal. The ex-Wizard Saint had wasted no time in stating the nature of their relationship. Jellal had, in no uncertain terms, ordered Erza to give up on him. He claimed he would be happier seeing Erza with a free man than seeing her torture herself than try to keep alive a relationship that hinged on a few hours a week. She was adamant, but he was unbending. Finally, Erza had agreed to his wishes, understanding that Jellal wanted her to move on with her life, to find the freedom he had promised her so long ago.

So the first thing Erza did when she returned home was make a list of eligible bachelors in the guild. She ruled out the Master right away; the man had been nothing short of a father to her ever since she came to Fairy Tail, and even if she could see him as anything else, he... wasn't exactly in his prime. Also, her relationship to the Master ruled Laxus out by association. It just felt weird, okay?

Macao and Wakaba were out, mostly due to their age, but Macao was a father, and Wakaba was a married man. Honestly, she had higher standards than that.

Gildarts wouldn't get a green light from her. Again, the man was older, a father, and a father to a close friend of hers at that. Come to think of it, though, the older mages of the guild were all notorious womanizers, and she had no interest in being a trophy.

Romeo's age disqualified him instantly, and Alzack was already married to Bisca with a daughter. She shook her head. Maybe it was time to expand her search outside of Fairy Tail.

Bacchus was a man she had a good relationship with, if only professionally. She had nothing in common with the Quartro Cerberus mage; where she preferred strawberry cake and romance novels, his interests laid solely with alcohol and women.

She could honestly see herself with Eve or Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. Even if the Trimens were known womanizers, at least Ren was wholly commited to Sherry, to the point where they were to be married. Ichiya, however, was so far from her mind that he had to be at least a few billion lightyears away. With a shudder, she decided to go back to Fairy Tail.

Elfman had proven his competence as a mage with his defeat of Bacchus, but Erza decided she would rather not deal with his lectures on manliness any more than she had to. Still, she thought evilly, it would be quite the middle finger to Mirajane. No, she decided. She was better than dating her rival's brother for spite. Elfman: way out!

Though she had already eliminated Laxus, the male members of his "personal guard," the Raijinshu, stood out in her mind. Bickslow was sweet when he wanted to be, but she could only put up with so many lecherous comments at once. As for Fried, she was never quite sure what his sexual orientation was. He looked equally at Laxus and Mirajane, and had even bought a magazine for a male photospread. Whatever, it was none of her damn business anyway.

There was a time when she might have dated Levy's teammates, Jet and Droy. Unfortunately, Droy was, and she felt like a horrible person for admitting this, too fat these days. Anyway, they were both set on Levy, despite her interest in Gajeel.

Speaking of Gajeel, Erza had come to trust the Iron Dragon Slayer more and more each day. But the man ate iron, and she was not too keen on any of her armors becoming a meal for him. Warren was Warren, Max was Max, and Nab was Nab. She would leave the trio at that.

Erza briefly considered Reedus and Vijeeter, but dismissed them relatively soon, deciding she didn't really have anything to offer them. As she looked at the list, she realized she only had two options left: her two best male friends, Gray and Natsu. She looked back on her experiences with the former, but found she could not recall a time when she was attracted to him. At least not physically. Gray had a very appeasing body, and he was obviously not afraid to show it off. However, the emotional attraction only went as far as being her first friend in the guild.

Which led her to Natsu.

Oh, Natsu. That stubborn, immature, yet somehow devilishly handsome Dragon Slayer who had time and again melted the armor around her heart and exposed the scared little girl she really was inside. She was ready to die to save everyone from the overloading Tower of Heaven, yet Natsu had reached into the mass of pure magic to pull her out, and in the process, renewed her purpose for living.

But even before the Tower, she had drawn some disturbing parallels between him and Jellal. They had the same gentle smile, though Natsu's was more dangerous, given the ferocity that it could betray. They also shared the same strong sense of justice. Jellal had been tempered by their captors, so he never pushed the envelope too far. Natsu, however, believed their was no envelope as far as the people he loved were concerned.

But most importantly, they both hated to see Erza cry. In fact, the first time Natsu ever saw Erza cry, he had yelled at her. She thought he was a little harsh at first, but she still understood the message that he would always believe in her.

"_Don't ever let me see you cry again, Erza! Whatever it is, you're too strong to let it beat you!"_

The second time Natsu had seen her cry, he said nothing at all. Rather, he just tickled her and knocked her out, all so he could deal with Jellal without her protests. She supposed that was when she had fallen for the Dragon Slayer.

"Erza?" a voice called from outside her door. It was Cana. "You haven't left your room since you came back. Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, Cana," said Erza. "I think I'll have an early bedtime tonight."

"Suit yourself," said Cana. "I'm always here for a drink if you need it."

"I'll remember that, Cana," said Erza. "Make sure the other girls get to bed at a reasonable time."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Cana. "Night."

Erza Requipped into her pajamas, crawled under the covers, and tried to go to sleep. However, before long, dreams of herself and Natsu in all sorts of beautiful situations invaded her. During a practically sensual dream, she woke up in a cold sweat.

Damn it, she was really going to have to do something about this whole Natsu issue. But first things first: she would have a cold shower, and she would join Cana for a drink.

* * *

**And there we go. I'm aiming for five chapters with this thing, after which I promise to work on at least Don't Forget to Remember Me. I know, I have a real problem following through on things! Well, I'm at least going to complete this project, come Hell or high water.**

**So yeah, sorry I don't have much to say on these things anymore. I completed this, worked on the second chapter, and that kind of ruins my frame of mind if I don't post something I just finished working on. Oh well, until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more "Knight Seeks Dragon!"**

**This chapter was, in all honesty, fun for me to write. I mean, Erza needs a second-in-command to keep Fairy Hills running while she's away, right? Well, Cana's the perfect candidate in my mind. She's been with the guild the longest out of anyone in their generation, and she's a respected figure among the guild to boot.**

**And yes, there is a version of How I Met Your Mother in this story. Let's just say the introduction of Lacrima Vision adds a little something in the way of pop culture references in Fairy Tail.**

**Anyway, I have more to say, but it pertains to the end of the chapter, so I'll leave it for then. But for now, enjoy.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Erza had to admit, she didn't really do the whole "Girls' Night" thing. Her interests had always drifted towards swords, armor, and action movies, but that didn't mean she had a girly side to her either. Still, wine coolers and How I Met Your Mother reruns weren't her usual forte. Thankfully, she had Cana to show her the way. They had a little bit to drink, and then Cana asked Erza the inevitable question.

"So," said Cana. "You and Jellal. How was it?"

Erza hesitated. "All right," she said apprehensively.

Cana frowned. "Did something happen?" she prompted.

Erza sighed. "Jellal and I decided it... wasn't a good idea to pursue a relationship," she admitted.

"What?" exclaimed Cana. "Why?"

"Cana, Jellal has a lifetime sentence, and that's only because he helped save Fiore!" said Erza.

"So what?" asked Cana. "Me, I could totally date a con. I always know where he is, I know he'll stay faithful, and every moment we spend together would be special." She had a dreamy look on her face, but that was mostly the alcohol talking.

"True enough," Erza admitted. "But I want more out of a relationship. I need to be able to spend my life with someone. I want to wake up every morning to my lover's smiling face. I want to sit on a porch swing and grow old with someone. I want to lie underneath the stars and have my lover tell me he'd give me the moon if he could." She frowned. "As much as it pains me to say so, I can't do any of that with Jellal, no matter how much I dream of it."

Cana just stared at Erza. For all her power, and her reputation as the feared Titania, the S-Class mage was, deep down, a girl just like her. She had hopes and dreams for the future, and she was coming to terms with the sad reality that she couldn't have her happy ending after all.

Cana placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I know it hurts now," she said. "But trust me, you _will_ find that someone who can give you everything you want and more."

"In that regard, you're luckier than I am," said Erza. "All you ever want is a good time."

"Guilty as charged," said Cana. The two girls then shared a laugh.

Erza took a sip of her wine and said, "I do have someone in mind, though," she said softly.

"Oooooh! Do tell!" said Cana mischievously.

Erza blushed. "I'm not telling you!" she said harshly. "If I do, it'll be all over the guild by morning!"

"And if it is, I'll quit drinking for a year. How's that?" offered Cana.

"...Well, I suppose I can't argue with that logic," said Erza. "All right. He's strong..."

"Goes without saying," said Cana.

"He's charming..."

"He must be if you like him."

"He's smart, but too impulsive to let it shine through."

"And I assume he's handsome?"

"Well, I don't settle for just hot, but that's part of his package, if you catch my drift."

"A fire mage?" Cana deduced.

"Yes," Erza confirmed. "And he's from Fairy Tail," he said with a smile.

Cana let the words sink in. She gasped when she figured it out. "You mean Natsu?" she asked.

"No, I mean Romeo," said Erza sarcastically. "Of course I mean Natsu!"

"Shut. Up!" said Cana. "Since when?"

"Is that really important, Cana?" Erza ground out dangerously.

"Right. Sorry," said Cana nervously. "So are you going to tell him?"

"I'd like to," replied Erza. She sighed. "There are just two obstacles standing in my way."

"Lucy and Lisanna?" said Cana knowingly. Erza simply nodded.

"I wouldn't worry so much about Lisanna," said Cana. "Have you ever really noticed her guild mark since her return from Edolas?"

"...No," said Erza, unsure of where this was going. Cana used her magic to pull up models of Natsu and Lisanna.

"Before: Red on her left arm. Same color as Natsu's, directly opposite to his," explained Cana, pointing to Lisanna's diagram. The model changed slightly. "After: White on her left leg. Notice the lack of red and the position of her mark."

"I see," said Erza. "And what does this mean to tell me?"

"That Lisanna has moved on from Natsu," said Cana simply.

Erza pondered the card mage's words carefully. Lisanna hadn't made any sort of serious attempt at getting Natsu's attention. Of course, this was based on her interactions with the other two girls simultaneously, which had admittedly been few and far between. For her own sake, she would have to train herself to believe Cana's words. "What about Lucy?" she asked.

Cana's expression made her look like she was forced to go without a drink for a day. "Lucy is... a trickier case," she said nervously. "Hers and Natsu's destinies are strongly intertwined." Noticing the depressed look on Erza's face, she hastily added, "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything!"

"Forget it, Cana," said Erza bitterly. "I never had a chance to begin with."

Cana frowned. "You don't know that," she said. "You have just as much of a chance with him as anyone else does."

"A one in a million chance, then," said Erza dejectedly.

Cana sighed. "Well," she said. "Since we both know just how dense Natsu is, you're going to have to confess to him yourself. If he likes you, great. If not, at least you know. No sense in not testing the waters."

Erza seemed struck dumb by Cana's suggestion. "But what if he says no?" she asked. "Our entire relationship will be tainted!"

At this point, Cana had to suppress a groan She just didn't know how to deal with a lovestruck Titania! "Listen to me, Erza," she said. "You're Natsu's whole inspiration to get stronger! Why else do you think it's you he challenges and not Mira or Laxus?"

"I don't understand," said Erza.

"He's trying to impress you, idiot!" yelled Cana. "He wants you to recognize him as a rival!"

"Thank you, Cana. It's nice to know that the boy I like doesn't see me as any more than a rival to surpass," said Erza sarcastically.

"Just talk to him," said Cana. "After all, since when did Erza Fucking Scarlet run away from a challenge? Are you going to let some guy turn you into a spineless coward?"

"Hell no!" yelled Erza.

"So tell him!" Cana ordered.

"Oh, he is told!" declared Erza. She rose up, presumably to march out and tell Natsu how she felt, but stumbled over with a light "Kyaah!" after taking a few steps.

"_Geez, how much wine did we drink?"_ Cana thought as she helped Erza up. She counted the bottles on the floor. Ten bottles, so they each had five.

Cana decided it was about time to put Erza to bed.

* * *

**Errgh, this ending sucks. I had a better ending, but only documented it as 947 words, so I felt the need to stretch it out a bit. Also, Evergreen was supposed to make an appearance, but I decided to leave the reason for that for the next chapter, so look forward to that.**

**I am amazed at the positive response this story's getting. I don't think reviews are everything, but they are a decent motivator for me as a writer to continue my work. So once again, thank you for the reviews and favorites.**

**I am considering writing some sort of OC story about a guild of my own design, but I need to flesh out quite a few things: characters, plot, villains, that sort of thing. So that may not happen for quite some time.**

**I don't think I have anything else to say here, so until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Bye guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. Welcome back to more "Knight Seeks Dragon."**

**I'll be honest, I have a hearing at the employment agency I've been going to for the last six years to determine whether I can keep going there, and that's taking up most of my mind today. Not that I'd be thrilled if they took me back, but... they're really my only option in terms of finding a job, so I kind of have to try.**

**Still, I figured I'd at least try to get this chapter out today so I could at least let you guys know what the deal is. Chances are, I'm going to be depressed for the next day or two, since God only knows what kind of BS they have on me, and considering the fact that my mother is going to be my advocate for the hearing, I know I'm going to get an earful once this is all over. Doesn't make it any easier. Whatever.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

The next morning at the guild, Erza kept a watchful eye for Natsu. She had already determined that she would spend as much of the day as she could with him in the hopes of finding out some clue of how he felt about her.

Cana took a seat next to Erza. She signaled Mirajane for a drink, causing both S-Class mages to shake their heads. "Don't you think it's a little early for a drink?" asked Erza.

"You kidding me? It's already 9:30 AM," Cana pointed out. "I'm losing daylight here!" No sooner had she said that than Mirajane came over with a mug of beer, which Cana downed without a second thought.

"Say, Mirajane," said Erza. "Where is Lisanna this morning? I mean, isn't she usually here at the same time you are?"

Mirajane puckered her lips, as if she had tasted something sour. "Lisanna said she had a date last night and probably wouldn't be home this morning," she said.

"I imagine Elfman was livid," chuckled Erza.

"Couldn't calm him down if I tried," said Mirajane. "Even Sitri couldn't get him to behave."

Erza gaped at her rival. "He defied Sitri?" she asked.

"Straight-up defiance," confirmed the Demon. "I told him it was probably just Natsu, but he wouldn't listen!"

Erza made a sort of gargling sound, which Mirajane unfortunately noticed. "Erza! Are you okay?" she asked with obvious concern.

Erza could feel the blush on her cheeks. Damn it, now Mirajane was bound to put the pieces together! "Oh! Yes, I'm fine!" she declared. "I... must have swallowed a bug or something."

"Don't you just hate that?" said Cana, supporting Erza's story.

"Hmmm... Well, if it's not serious..." said Mirajane unassuredly.

Suddenly, Cana spotted something out of the corner of her eye. "Mira, I just remembered that Laxus wanted to talk to you about something!" she said.

Mirajane raised her brow. "Laxus wanted to talk to me?" she asked "What about?"

"I dunno, top-secret S-Class mage stuff that he couldn't tell me about!" said Cana, looking at the guild entrance nervously. "Just go!" she hissed.

"Waaah! O-okay!" said Mirajane nervously. She then went off to find the lightning mage.

Erza, for her part, looked confused. "What was that about?" she asked. In response, Cana pointed at the guild entrance. Erza looked over, and she saw, of all things, Bixlow wrapping his arm around Lisanna, his babies fluttering around them.

Erza blinked. "It's Bixlow and Lisanna," she said. "So?"

"So, I'm the one who hooked 'em up," said Cana proudly.

If it were possible, Erza's jaw would have hit the floor. "You mean... they're together?" she asked in obvious disbelief.

"Not so loud!" demanded Cana harshly. "Why do you think I distracted Mira?"

"But... I... Why? How? When?" Erza found herself grasping for words.

"Why? Well, it started as a sort of pet project to divert Lisanna's attention away from Natsu so Lucy could have a clean shot – until you told me, that is," said Cana. "How? Well, Mira keeps sneaking peeks at Fried, and Elfman and Evergreen have been spending more time with each other, so I just took the next logical step and settled on Bixlow. As for the when, they've been dating in secret for at least a month now."

"...Cana..."

"Erza?"

"...You are magnificent," said Erza in awe.

"I know, right?" replied Cana with a smirk, though it was obvious she was surprised to hear Erza say so.

"Erza!" both girls heard someone call. They looked and saw that it was Natsu, frantically looking around for the Titania.

"Now's your chance, Erza!" whispered Cana.

"I don't know, Cana," said Erza unsurely. "He probably just wants to fight me." She sighed. "I suppose that's all I really am to him... a rival to surpass, and nothing more."

"Erza!"

Erza yelped as Natsu suddenly snuck up behind her. "Natsu! Don't DO that!" she yelled.

"Sorry!" exclaimed Natsu, flinching at Erza's oncoming wrath. Fortunately for him, all she did was sigh. "What do you want, Natsu?" she asked.

"I need you to spy on Lucy with me," said Natsu.

Erza quirked a brow. "Spy on Lucy? You don't mean to peep on her, do you Natsu?" asked Erza dangerously.

Natsu flinched again. "N-no, ma'am," he said.

Erza reprimanded herself. _"Idiot! This is why Natsu hasn't made any sort of move on you yet! You scare him, and we don't want that!"_

"Then why are we spying on Lucy?" asked Erza.

"Because she's been avoiding missions lately," said Natsu. "I pointed out her rent, but she told me she wasn't worried about it this month. Suspicious?" Natsu punched his palm. "I think so."

"Calm down, Natsu," said Erza. "I'm certain Lucy has a good reason for avoiding missions with you."

"She better!" said Natsu. "I wanna get back to bashing bandits already!"

Erza smiled. There was the passion she loved about Natsu. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to take a mission ourselves, won't we?" she said.

"Erza, you know just how to fire me up!" said Natsu. "Screw Lucy! If she doesn't wanna go on missions with me anymore, she's missing out on great fights!"

"Well, if you wouldn't destroy everything in sight, maybe Lucy would be more willing to work with you," said Cana. "How many times have you guys cost her her rent money?"

"We do have somewhat of a problem with self-control," Erza admitted. "Even so, I wouldn't change us for the world."

"You know what, Erza? I wouldn't either!" said Natsu with a smile that reminded Erza of the sun.

Cana looked around. "Hey, where's Happy?" she asked.

Natsu blinked. "I dunno," he replied. "He was with me when we left for the guild." His expression turned to one of panic. "Erza, we gotta find Happy!" he shouted.

Erza hit Natsu on the head. "Relax," she ordered. "Happy's very resourceful, and anyway, Magnolia is a safe enough neighborhood."

That seemed to brighten Natsu's spirits. "You're right, Erza!" he said. "Happy's a Fairy Tail mage! He can handle himself if he needs to!"

"Oh yes, because a flying cat is so fearsome," drawled Cana.

"That's not helping," growled Natsu.

"Natsu! Erza!" a high-pitched voice squealed. The trio looked up to see Happy flying in, an excited expression on his face.

"Happy!" exclaimed Natsu. "What's up, buddy?"

"More importantly, why did you abandon Natsu?" asked Erza.

"Isn't that more or less what Natsu asked?" Cana pointed out.

"I'm sorry, Natsu!" said Happy. "We passed the fish stand and I went to look and I saw this really big fish and I wanted to buy it, but you were already gone, so I went to Lucy's house to ask her for money, and... and..."

"And what?" prompted Natsu.

"I saw Gray leaving!" said Happy. "I asked him what he was doing at Lucy's, and he blushed and told me to get lost!"

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Finally, Natsu spoke. "I'm still not getting it, buddy," he said.

"They liiike each other, Natsu," said Happy. "I think they diiid it."

For a moment, Erza felt her heart stop.

* * *

**Oooh! Cliffhanger!**

**This was originally supposed to involve Natsu and Erza spying on Lucy, but well, the story pretty much evolved from that. Because of it, the next chapter might end up being the last, unless I can BS another chapter out of it. I'm too nervous to work on it now, so we'll see when we see. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more Knight Seeks Dragon!**_  
_

**You may have already seen this chapter. It's more or less the same, but I reposted it because I added a bit at the end that didn't seem to fit in with the next chapter. That, and it makes for a decent cliffhanger. Enjoy it.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

_"They liiike each other, Natsu. I think they diiid it."_

Happy's words rang in Erza's ears, like a fly buzzing around in her head.

Gray left Lucy's apartment.

Lucy likes Gray.

Not Natsu.

It was almost too good to be true.

She had to go and verify this for herself. She just _had_ to!

Suddenly, and almost automatically, Erza found herself sweeping out of the guild, making her way to Lucy's house, not even registering the concerned cries of Natsu and Cana.

"Gray is sooo dead," said Cana.

"Give me one good reason to care," replied Natsu.

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Cana. She resumed her seat at the bar and took a swig of her beer, leaving Natsu to his own devices.

* * *

Erza had wasted no time. In less than ten minutes, she was banging loudly on Lucy's apartment door. The Celestial mage answered within a few seconds. She knew Erza's knock, and it usually meant she had to speak with you, _immediately._

"Erza! Hi!" said Lucy as brightly as she could, not wanting to anger the knight.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Are you and Gray in a relationship?"

"Ehhh?" exclaimed Lucy. "Where did you hear that?"

"Happy saw Gray leaving here this morning," explained Erza. "He says he asked Gray why he was here, to which Gray replied by telling him to 'get lost.' Don't you think that sounds like a defensive answer?"

Lucy sighed. That was Erza, always cutting to the chase, never demanding anything but the truth. "Okay, here it is," she said. "It was the first day of the Grand Magic Games. Gray had lost Hidden, and I had lost to Flare. We both felt a little sorry for ourselves, and we sort of..."

"No!" gasped Erza.

"Yes," replied Lucy. "Wait, what? No!" she yelled, realizing what Erza was implying.

"Then what?" demanded Erza.

"We kissed... we cuddled... and we found we liked it. And that's all! I swear!"

"Then why was Gray leaving here?" pressed Erza.

"What, my boyfriend can't spend the night every once in a while?" she asked indignantly.

"Well, excuse me, Princess," said Erza with lighthearted sarcasm. "So you guys are official?"

"More or less," replied Lucy. "Just, whatever you do, don't mention any of this to Juvia. At least not until I figure out a way to break it to her without drowning."

Erza sighed. "Lucy, I'm going to break this to you in the most eloquent way I know how: you're screwed," she said.

"I know," groaned Lucy. "But at least I know you'll be there to back me up, right Erza?" No response. "Erza?"

Lucy looked up, only to see that Erza had already left. "Great," she huffed.

* * *

As soon as she left Lucy's apartment, Erza searched for a place where she could be alone. Once she was satisfied with her solitude, she let out a girlish squeal.

Lucy liked Gray! Not Natsu! Gray! That meant she had a clear run at the Dragon Slayer! Both her potential rivals were taken, and all that remained was to see if Natsu felt the same way.

But how to approach the subject? It was no secret that Natsu was completely oblivious to the idea of love. Any progress would have to be made by his volition. As she debated the best course of action in her head, she failed to recognize that there was a presence behind her.

Suddenly, she felt her magic power drain away, the sensation causing her to writhe in pain. Before she knew it, all her magic was gone. She turned around and saw a greasy-looking man standing in front of her.

"Heh. Titania Erza, huh?" said the man. He grinned, showing off his yellow teeth. "My lucky day."

Erza tried to summon one of her swords, but her efforts were in vain. The man held out his hands and summoned chains with thick cuffs from them. The cuffs attached themselves to her wrists and ankles, and before long, she was chained to the wall of the alley. She struggled, but couldn't muster the strength to break free.

"Now now, Titania," said the greasy man. "The strength of those chains is based on the magic power I put into them. And since I used all of your magic to make them, not even one of the Ten Wizard Saints can break through them." He tore off Erza's armor with remarkable ease. "Now let's have a little fun, shall we?"

Erza growled. She may have lost her magic, but not her ability to sense it. Concentrating, drowning out the greasy man's perverse laughter, she sensed a certain someone's magic power nearby.

"NATSU!" she bellowed.

The greasy man laughed. "Aw! Calling for your boyfriend?" he taunted. "Too bad. Even if he could hear you, he's too far away to make any-!"

The greasy man never got to finish his sentence, as he was hit with a flaming fist at a remarkable speed. Erza looked on with satisfaction as Natsu and Happy landed in front of her.

"Erza!" Natsu exclaimed. "What the hell? How come you haven't broken out of those chains yet?"

"He absorbed my magic power and used it to create them," explained Erza. "He says he used all of it, so that should just leave his normal levels of magic at worst."

Natsu tried smashing the cuffs with his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, but they stood strong. "Happy. Find Gajeel and bring him here," he ordered. "We need him to get Erza outta here."

"Aye, sir!" said Happy. He flew off to get help, but the greasy man caught him with a chain cuffed around his waist.

"Happy!" exclaimed Natsu.

"It's okay, Natsu!" said Happy. "Look!" He grabbed the chain with his hands and swung the greasy man against the wall repeatedly until he was knocked out.

"That was amazing, Happy!" Erza praised.

"It was nothing, really," replied Happy with a blush. "When he caught me, he became a passenger of my magic, so I turned that to my advantage!"

Erza smiled. "Truly, you've proven yourself worthy of the name Nekomander," she said.

"Aye!" said Happy with glee. "Maybe I should start using a rope, or a whip like Lucy does! Then I can grab people and swing them around! Or maybe-"

"Just go find Gajeel so he can eat me out of these chains," said Erza flatly. Happy did as ordered.

Natsu glared harshly at the greasy man. Taking a breath, he spat an ember at him. The fire burned a patch of his shirt, through which both mages saw the mark of a familiar guild.

"Twilight Ogre," Natsu growled.

"Let it go, Natsu," ordered Erza sternly.

"Let it go?" Natsu repeated angrily. "He was going to-!"

"I said let it go!" Erza repeated much more forcefully. "We'll report this incident to the Master and have him consult with Master Banaboster about a proper punishment."

Natsu was visibly upset with Erza's decision, but he relented nevertheless. "I can't believe how easily you're willing to let this go," he pouted.

"It's only easy for me because I know you're always there to protect me," said Erza with a gentle smile.

Natsu could only blush at that statement. It was true. Natsu would go through Hell and back to protect his guild. Especially Erza. He knew she was stronger than him, yet somehow, that made protecting her from anything that made her weak even more important. "That'll never change, Erza. Ever," he said.

"Good," said Erza as she yawned. "Feeling lightheaded... sleepy..." she mumbled. Her eyes slid closed, her head slumped forward, and her muscles relaxed.

"ERZA!" yelled Natsu.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUN!**

**Also, how did you like Happy saving the day? I dunno, once I realized the implications of the greasy man grabbing Happy with his magic, I just rolled with it and gave him time to shine. Though I never did explain why the greasy man never cancelled his magic. I dunno, Greasy's not that bright, is he?**

**Hopefully, the next chapter is the last, after which I promise to get back to work on Don't Forget to Remember Me It's gonna be tough, though. I got a couple other ideas, but I will definitely work on that a bit. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the finale of Knight Seeks Dragon!**

**I hadn't really been thinking that much about this project, since like a dumbo, I kept getting new ideas. Oh well, that's just free will for ya. But I've been working on this for a while, and I said "screw it" and drummed up an ending. Well, not really "drummed" it up, since it was pretty much the direction I'd been going in anyway, but really, I just wanted to get this done. Anyway, enjoy!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Erza woke up, feeling groggier than she'd felt in a long time. Her mind was a haze, but she could just barely make out her room at Fairy Hills. Much to her surprise, Natsu sat at the foot of her bed, looking at her expectantly.

"Erza! You're okay!" he said cheerfully.

"Natsu... not so loud, okay?" Erza told the Dragon Slayer.

"Oh," whispered Natsu. "Sorry."

"Don't whisper, either," groaned Erza. "What happened?"

"Magical fever," said Natsu. "Apparently, you're not supposed to lose that much magic that fast."

"So I noticed," said Erza dryly.

"You'll be a hundred percent soon, Erza," Natsu continued. "Till then, I'm gonna take care of you!" He gave a big grin. "Isn't that great?"

"But... what about Wendy?" asked Erza.

"She said there was nothing to do for a magical fever but wait it out," replied Natsu.

"No, I mean this is the girls' dorms," said Erza. "You shouldn't be here."

"Well, yeah, normally," said Natsu. "But Gramps said I could wait with you till you get better."

"You don't have..." Erza coughed violently. "...Water...!" she gasped.

"I'm on it!" said Natsu, pulling a mug of ice water from the floor and handing it to Erza. "Drink it slow!" he cautioned.

Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears, as Erza took several big gulps of water. She sighed in relief and continued her sentence. "You don't have to do this," she said.

"I know," said Natsu. "You're strong, and you're scary. But I've seen you at your weakest, and I've made it my personal goal to build you back up when someone tears you down. Who guards the guardian, huh?"

Erza smiled. Just then, a thought came to her. "Speaking of guarding the guardian, who's making sure you don't do anything improper to the other girls?" she asked. "You know, since I am currently incapacitated."

"Mira and Lisanna are in the kitchen making soup," said Natsu. He chuckled. "I sure learned the hard way not to piss them off."

"I still remember the time they caught you peeping," said Erza. "Mira at the very least wasn't too happy. Lisanna... more so," She couldn't help but giggle at the memory.

"Soup's ready!" called Lisanna, coming in from the kitchen.

Natsu took a big whiff of the air. "Lisanna's famous chicken fish soup!" he announced. "You used to make this for me and Happy whenever we got sick, didn't you, Lisanna?"

Erza looked at her friends dubiously. "Chicken fish soup?" she asked.

"Well, it was the only way they would eat it," said Lisanna nonchalantly. She handed the bowl to Erza. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

"I don't know," said Erza. "All I really need to do is get my strength back up, so wouldn't strawberry cake work just as well?"

"Aw, is Titania Erza afraid of a little soup?" Natsu taunted.

Erza glared at him. "The hell I am!" she said angrily. She put the bowl to her mouth and started to drink...

"Erza! Spoon!" said Lisanna worriedly.

"Huh? Oh. Right," said Erza. She glared at Natsu. "You see what you do to me?" she said angrily, though a little bit playfully.

"Good thing I was here," said Lisanna. "Now don't do anything else stupid after I leave."

"You're not staying?" asked Natsu.

"No," said Lisanna. "I have a..." She glanced at the kitchen nervously. "...thing... to get to."

"What kind of thing?" asked Natsu.

"A secret thing!" said Lisanna. "For Happy! That's why I can't tell you! You'll spoil the surprise!"

"Oh. Okay," said Natsu. "Hey, if Bixlow gives you any shit, you come to me, all right?"

Lisanna blushed, then nodded her head. "Get well soon, Erza!" she said.

"Thank you," said Erza. With that, Lisanna left the bedroom.

A minute later, Mirajane poked her head in. "Did I hear you say something about Lisanna and Bixlow?" she asked sternly.

"No!" said Natsu quickly. "What could those guys possibly be doing together, huh? I don't know what's going on! Do you know what's going on, Erza?"

No reply. As soon as Mirajane had entered the room, Erza had started to feign sleep. She knew things were about to get ugly regarding her sister and her new boyfriend, and honestly, she was just too sick to deal with it right now. She smirked to herself as she listened to her rival badger Natsu for information.

"_Perhaps one day, that will be me and Natsu,"_ thought Erza happily. She fell asleep not long after.

* * *

Erza woke up later that night to see Natsu coming home (_"Home? Natsu doesn't live here."_). He sat on the bed, careful not to wake her.

Erza realized that this was her opportunity to hear Natsu's candid feelings for her, so she pretended to be asleep for just a little while longer.

"Hey, Erza," whispered Natsu. Erza had to strain to hear, since he thought she was asleep and didn't want to wake her. "Mira's okay with Bixlow and Lisanna being... you know, a thing. Man, you should've seen her! I think she wanted to rip Bixlow to shreds!" He grinned. "Oh well, at least I got to fight Mira!"

This caught Erza's attention. Natsu had actually fought Mirajane?

"Mira's as strong as ever!" said Natsu. "I would've lost if she wasn't using Sitri! Though to be fair, she was more focused on roasting Bixlow alive than fighting me, but hey, free food is free food!" He laughed. "After I had my fill of fire, Mira was down for the count. They're talking things through now, setting ground rules and crap like that."

Erza smiled inwardly. It was good that her friends had managed to work out their problems.

Natsu sighed. "You know, ever since Lisanna came back, I haven't been feeling the same way about her I used to. It's been eating at me for like, ever, but when Jellal got arrested after the Games, it just snapped into place.

"I moved on from Lisanna's death. Simple as that. And at the same time, I found the courage to love again. And it took Jellal trying to sacrifice you for all that to happen."

Natsu sighed. "I like you, Erza," he admitted. "I mean, like-like. Like in Lucy's novel. I don't know if it's love yet, but when I saw you lying broken at Jellal's feet, it just... flipped a switch in me. I was this close to losing you like I lost Lisanna, and something was screaming, 'No! Not again! Not Erza!' God help me, but I don't even feel that way about Lucy, even after the Eclipse plan!"

He growled. "Sure, I was scared for her, but at the same time, there was this voice – not the same voice I heard in the Tower, but... I dunno, this one was telling me to trust Lucy, to believe in her." There was a beat as Natsu realized the implications of what he was saying. "Uh, not that I don't believe in you!" he said hastily.

"I guess with Lucy, somehow I know that everything's gonna be all right," he said. "But with you, even though you're stronger than me... I just feel the urge to protect you, even if you don't need me to... goddammit, maybe this is love after all... Hey!"

At that point, Erza gave up all pretense and pulled Natsu down to her. She placed a long kiss on his lips and cuddled him tight. "I love you too, Natsu," she said.

Natsu boldly stole another kiss, and the new couple cuddled all through the night.

* * *

**Like I said, not the best ending. Either way, I hope you like it!**

**So anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and generally liked this story. I will stay true to my word and work on the next chapter of Don't Forget To Remember Me, and hopefully that will be up this weekend. I'm really stalling on that fight scene, though, and chances are, I'll never be 100% satisfied with how it turns out, but I'll still get it done somehow! Actually, inspiration just struck me, so if you're reading through it, don't be surprised if I change a few things.**

**So once again, thank you for all your support, and until my next project, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


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